Tuesday, 7 January 2014

I never liked the word resolution, so I don't usually make any New Year Resolutions. It's the kind of thing that sounds more like a fad, than an actual plan. I think most people stick to them for a few weeks--maybe even a few months--and then forget about them.

Goals are different. When I make goals I have a time frame in mind. I write them down and keep referring to them during the year to see what's next, or if anything needs to be shuffled forward or pushed down the line.

These are goals/plans that I stick to until the end of the year.

So, yesterday I picked up one of my lovely notebooks and a pen and wrote down a bunch of things I'd like to achieve during this year.

The first thing on the list is to celebrate the upcoming release of SHIVER by trying to get the word out about it as much as I can. It's so exciting, and also brings me to my first project: completing the second draft of Recast #4. I've got it scheduled for next week. That way I can get it done, give myself a few more weeks distance from it, and then finish it off by the end of February. Fingers crossed.

My other big project is something I mentioned the other day: to declutter my ideas/research/WIPs/series paper files. At the moment I have way too many print outs and scattered handwritten notes. It's a mess and takes up too much bookshelf space. So, I've started to go through it and you wouldn't believe how much I've recycled already. Yikes!

From now on, I've decided that each series will be allocated one chunky notebook to take notes, stick pictures and info in, etc. It's worked out really well for the Sierra Fox and Recast series, so I'm looking forward to changing this. Everything else needs to be stored electronically. Sounds like a simple plan, and it will be once it's actually implemented.

As far as the writing goes, I'd like to write at least two new novels and two new novellas. Plus sort out a few other stories that need revision. I'll see how I go. Though I feel really good about getting everything down on paper.

The only other goals I've made is to finish reading a bunch of books that I've fallen behind on. There are several series that have since finished up but I'm still not caught up. Oh, and several Book 3s in a variety of trilogies. O_o

January is always a slow productivity month because my daughter's home for most of it, but I'm not going to sweat it.